[K3CAL] Hurricane Watch Net - (Activation Plans) fpr Hurricane Milton

[KB3WFV]

Below is the latest from the Hurricane Watch Net. Not much for us to do here in Maryland but listen in.

Brian
KB3WFV

From: Bobby Graves - KB5HAV Hurricane Watch Net Net Manager

The Hurricane Watch Net is making tentative plans to activate on Tuesday
afternoon for Hurricane Milton. The current forecast, issued at 5:00 PM EDT
Sunday is calling for Milton to become a powerful Category 4 Hurricane with
sustained winds of 145 miles per hour. (Note: As I re-post this,  Milton has 
already reached category 4!)

This is the same strength Helene was at landfall a week ago. Additionally,
Milton is expected to be at least a Cat 2 Hurricane after crossing Florida
and entering the Atlantic Ocean. Those in Bermuda need to keep a close eye
on Milton as this storm could possibly affect the island on Saturday.



For now, these are our tentative activation plans.

Tentative Activation Plans:

Tuesday (Line Up Reporting Stations, EOCs, Storm Shelters)

. 20 meters: 14.325 MHz (USB) at 5:00 PM EDT (2100 UTC) until we lose
propagation at night.

. 40 meters: 7.268 MHz (LSB) at 5:00 PM EDT (2100 UTC). We will remain
active on this frequency throughout the day and overnight for as long as
propagation allows. If propagation allows us to operate all night, we will
suspend operations at 7:30 AM EDT Wednesday to allow the Waterway Net to
conduct their daily Net.



Wednesday (Landfall Day)

. 20 meters: we will resume operations on 14.325 MHz at 7:00 AM EDT (1100
UTC) and remain active until we lose propagation at night.

. 40 meters: we will resume operations on 7.268 MHz at 8:30 AM EDT (1230
UTC). We will remain active on this frequency throughout the day and
overnight for as long as propagation allows. If propagation allows us to
operate all night, we will suspend operations at 7:30 AM EDT Thursday to
allow the Waterway Net to conduct their daily Net.



Thursday (Post Storm Reports, Emergency Traffic, Health & Welfare Traffic.

. 20 meters: we will resume operations on 14.325 MHz at 7:00 AM EDT (1100
UTC).

. 40 meters: we will resume operations on 7.268 MHz at 8:30 AM EDT (1230
UTC).



Any change to these plans will be posted here, our website, www.hwn.org
<http://www.hwn.org> , and our social media pages.



As with any Net Activation, if you are to be in the affected area of Milton,
please take all necessary precautions to protect your family and yourself!
If are in a position to safely do so, we would love to have check in with us
and provide your observed weather information. While we greatly appreciate
measured data, we gladly accept estimated weather data as well. We relay
that data to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. This information is
extremely important to the forecasters as it gives them more information as
to what the storm is or is not doing. It also helps them to provide a more
accurate forecast!



If you are in an evacuation zone, please heed the instructions of your local
officials.



To everyone in the path of this storm. Do NOT focus on the forecast track of
the center of this storm. This will be a very powerful and deadly storm.
Take all necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family.



If you have to evacuate to a Storm Shelter, if you have portable HF station
(a Go-Kit), please ask your shelter if you can set it up there. If so,
please check in with us. We can help you keep up with the storm and help you
with any traffic you may have.



As we did for Helene, once Hurricane Milton has exited the state into the
Atlantic, the Hurricane Watch Net will remain active on both frequencies to
help with Emergency Traffic, Health & Welfare Traffic with assistance from
SATERN, and to collect and forward post-storm reports to the National
Hurricane Center. We will remain active until our services are no longer
required.



To all official agencies such as Emergency Operations Centers, Red Cross
officials, and Storm Shelters in the affected area, we are available to
provide backup communications. We also collect and forward significant
damage assessment data to government and non-government officials requesting
such.



We greatly appreciate the daily users and various nets who use 14.325.00 MHz
and 7.268.00 MHz for allowing us a clear frequency. It certainly makes our
job easier, and I know those in the affected area appreciate it as well.



Kind Regards and God Bless,

Bobby Graves - KB5HAV

Hurricane Watch Net

Net Manager